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iocan28 t1_j4ggcem wrote

No kidding. It’s a tragic loss for the country and the planet, but the poverty of the country only makes things worse. Exploitation of their natural resources is really the only thing left for a country like Honduras, and it’s come to this situation that can’t be fixed for generations if at all.

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baxterstate t1_j4gkmte wrote

I have high hopes that the new President, Xiomara Castro, elected a year ago is aware of the problems and will begin to turn them around.

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Henddo t1_j4gng20 wrote

How confident are we that that isn’t just a photograph of broccoli.

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internet_chump t1_j4h2y3e wrote

500,000 of the 1.9 million hectares lost was from insect-borne disease and drought-caused forest fires. That isn't making money for anyone.

The vast majority of the rest isn't for a timber industry, it's for cattle ranching. As we've seen in Brazil, a large beef industry doesn't equate to a bump in GDP.

Of course Honduras can decide it's own future and use it's natural resources how it pleases, but slash and burn style cattle ranching isn't likely to help Honduras generate wealth, nor is it going to be sustainable.

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Khalaio t1_j4h40b3 wrote

Hope for Honduras 🇭🇳

Aka, The Deapths

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The-Bill-B t1_j4h41a6 wrote

I don’t know a lot about deforestation, but seems like 10% over 11 years doesn’t sound too terrible.

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Stinkyclamjuice15 t1_j4h41mc wrote

They won't be happy until this planet is sucked dry and we're all living in moxie fed domes

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NetworkLlama t1_j4h4o6x wrote

This is a big part of the reason that I'm rooting for cultured meat to be successful. So much of the world's forests and bundles are being cut down for ranching.

On the other hand, that success will probably lead to millions of jobs being lost with no straightforward replacement.

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DuckDuckJeeper t1_j4h6y2h wrote

Hurricanes Eta and Iota alone did pretty much all of the damage but of course, those facts might distract from an otherwise inflammatory article.

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Energy_Turtle t1_j4h8nqq wrote

I was thinking the same. If they keep it up with 10% of the remaining forest over each ~10 year period, then that's pretty good for a developing nation. Sad to lose it but what the hell are Hondurans supposed to do?

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arseniobillingham21 t1_j4hc131 wrote

I found that article too, but thats about farms, which is not the same. And also, lots of natural forests have the same trees for the most part. Where I live it’s all Douglas Fir for the most part, and if you go a couple hours east, it’s all red pine. And you have to be careful about introducing new species in to a forest. New species can bring in new pests that could decimate the species that’s already there, or it could possibly take over. I’m not saying we shouldn’t strive for diversity in forests, but I can’t find any sources that it’s been an issue.

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Zippier92 t1_j4hccqk wrote

What us the plant based scene in Central America- seems timely to lead the area and save the diversity.

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PenguinSunday t1_j4hdh84 wrote

No, they don't... farming is farming, whether it's trees or radishes. If you read the article, you'd see that pests are actually a huge danger because there aren't species that protect each other. It only takes one disease or really bad pest to wipe out an entire monoculture forest. The Pine Beetle has shown us that.

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Realitybytes_ t1_j4hgvpy wrote

Or on a positive note, Honduras gained 10% more land to build on... because that's how these countrys report this shit.

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RobinsShaman t1_j4hiyas wrote

Or....Honduras able to preserve 90% of its Forest land for past 11years. celebrate!!!

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boinzy t1_j4hjcnp wrote

Did they check under the bed?

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thebadpixel t1_j4hnayi wrote

Yeah, this sucks, but I can’t help but be reminded of the forests that used to stand in the US before whole states were clear cut to fuel the economy and make the US what it became today. You’ve all seen the photos of massive redwoods cut by two smiling guys holding a 20 foot saw. Imagine at that time if other countries had pressured the US to stop cutting those old growth forests. Would we have listened? Hell no. So, with that in mind, how do we (we who already clear cut our great forests) convince a poorer nation like Honduras to stop cutting their forests? How much are those remaining forests worth to the rich nations? The oil nations got rich off their resources. Honduras should get equally rich off of preserving the lungs of the world.

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decorama OP t1_j4ho989 wrote

We know much more today about the consequences of the damage we make to our forests than we did in the 1800s.

It would be ideal if countries banded together to preserve natural resources.

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thebadpixel t1_j4hpfch wrote

My point is, if other countries had come to us in the 1800's and told us what we were doing was really bad, would we have listened? Anytime outside countries are telling a country not to make money off of the resources they can see out their window... it's a hard sell.

In this case, they're clearing for cattle ranches. I doubt all that beef is staying in Honduras. It needs to be made more profitable to leave the trees standing.

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arseniobillingham21 t1_j4hphbk wrote

I just read it, and it doesn’t mention that introducing new species of trees is an option. It mainly talks about how certain species are now affected because they used to be protected by colder temperatures, but the warming climate is making them vulnerable now. And it also talks about how the beetles biology is changing. And it also talks about how it’s a huge problem for National Parks, which are natural forests, not replanted ones. Again, I’m not saying it’s a bad thing to have diverse forests, but you can’t just go start planting different species of trees. Introducing new tree species to a forests, to possibly reduce pests, can have unintended consequences, and completely decimate an ecosystem.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/rmrs/science-spotlights/invasive-native-tree-species

Most of the forests I’ve seen in the west are naturally mostly one species. So they replant that same species. I don’t see a problem with that. If you’re cutting down a diverse forest, then yes you should replant the same species you’re cutting down. But those aren’t super common out here in the west. And the sources you’re providing don’t actually say what you’re saying they do. I think thinning is a better solution.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/features/thinning-forest-trees

And as long as you’re gonna compare a forest to a farm, you’re not gonna plant wheat in the middle of a corn field. You have the farm divided up in to different sections, each with their own species, almost like a forest.

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PenguinSunday t1_j4hr4cd wrote

Monocropping is a pretty big reason for soil degradation and crop failures due to pests and diseases. Regenerative farming with multiple crops helps to protect then from pests and replenish the soil. The problem is that diverse forests were clearcut then replanted with only a single type of tree. The forests in my home aren't supposed to be only pine, but Weyerhaeuser kind of forced it, so that's all there is on the lands they own.

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arseniobillingham21 t1_j4htcx2 wrote

I mean I’m not gonna stand here and defend Weyerhaeuser, and they definitely shouldn’t be replanting only one species if it was more diverse before. That’s one of those things that can’t be changed until somebody is brave enough to stand up to the logging industry and force them to do the things they should. My point was, you shouldn’t take a forest that’s one species(many of which are naturally that way, not because of clearcutting), and just start introducing new ones.

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TheOriginalNutter t1_j4hyf8g wrote

Super cities. Everything you need within 15 mins bike ride of your home.

Insects, easy to farm. Full of protein! Chitin is a problem, but forget about that...

Personally, I am looking forward to a world where I don't own anything but am happy. Where the elites travel the world on private planes whilst I enjoy am allowed to go abroad once every 5 years.

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foxrun89 t1_j4hzxuu wrote

It’s going to be a weird looking world once they all die off

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F5PPu6kGqj t1_j4i1shj wrote

> He regretted that in Honduras the forests are deforested, especially by extensive cattle ranching, migratory agriculture and are affected by forest fires.

Not looking good for the future.

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MeanManatee t1_j4ibsfg wrote

This doesn't help them develop. The only ones who profit from deforestation like this are a tiny minority of cattle barons. The average Honduran doesn't benefit from losing their forest.

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dxrey65 t1_j4ieato wrote

If someone from here, which was once a thriving city in a forested wetland, stopped by to let us know what happens when you abuse the environment, maybe someone would listen?

But the problem is people trash what they have, and don't listen until it's too late. People not caring is the real problem, not the people who have made mistakes and who try to educate others so not everyone has to screw up.

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foxrun89 t1_j4inbho wrote

I spent most of my young life trying to do that with a master’s in marine science. It’s not worth it anymore. The changes would’ve had to happen a long time ago. It’s over now. Part of the joke while I was in school was that we were studying a dying a planet.

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ZeroPride t1_j4iwhzl wrote

Well, yeah. First lines of the linked article:

>Honduras lost 10% of its forests between 2010 and 2021, denounced Friday President Xiomara Castro, while inaugurating an environmental protection program. > >“The total loss of forests during these last years of the dictatorship, from 2010 to 2021, was 696,562 hectares, representing 10% of our forests,” said the president, referring to the governments of Porfirio Lobo (2010-2014) and Juan Orlando Hernández (2014-2018 and 2018-2022).

The article is written rather poorly, though.

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theporcupineking t1_j4jaul5 wrote

I thought this was a picture of broccoli and now I want broccoli dipped in ranch.

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blackluck64 t1_j4jvcfr wrote

Pretty much. The entire planet will be used to support one species. A surprising number of people seem totally okay with that which leads to the inevitable conclusion that human beings are really just smart bacteria.

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RKU69 t1_j4lrpnj wrote

The first line of the article:

>Honduras lost 10% of its forests between 2010 and 2021, denounced Friday President Xiomara Castro, while inaugurating an environmental protection program.

More important context is that prior to the election of Castro, Honduras was run by an authoritarian right-wing government that was brought into power by a coup in 2009.

So yes, hopefully things will now change.

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RKU69 t1_j4lrwmu wrote

This post requires some positive vibes, such as opening the article and reading in the first line that this is about a speech made by the President of Honduras, where she is inaugurating new environmental protections to stem and reverse the deforestation of the previous ten years.

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Ambitious-Tart-2070 t1_j4lyqqu wrote

Countries that are considered part of the advanced economy were allowed to exploit not only their own resources but those of other poorer nations as well. No one was upset enough to offer them reparations, yet when they decide to make money off of their land, people from wealthy nations are upset.It’s funny how climate change is a concern when some of the poorest and most exploited countries try to change their fate.

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lamby284 t1_j4w1sd1 wrote

Why doesn't it say what their cause of deforestation is? Who is using the land and for what?

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